Pump-operating mechanism



(No Model.)

F. H. OBER. PUMP OPERATING MECHANISM.

No. 477,629. Patented June 21, 1892.

UNrTEn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

FRANK 1r. OBER, or DENVER, COLORADO.

PUMP-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,629, dated June 21,1892.

Application filed November 20, 1891. Serial No. 412,575. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK H. OBER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPump-Operating Mechanism; and I do declare the followi ng to be afull,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to an improved me chanical power more especiallydesigned for operating pumps, and will be considered in thisspecification as connected with and operating the piston of an ordinarysuctionpump. This mechanism may be actuated by any suitable power, ashand, horse, steam, electricity, &c. The power is applied to a rotarysocket swiveled in a suitable stationary support and adapted to receivethe head of aspring-clamp composed of twin jaws interiorly threaded toreceive a correspondinglythreaded portionofthe piston-rod,wl1ich passesthrough thejaws. As the swiveled socket is turned the screw-c1amp isrotated and the piston-rod raised to a height nearly equal to the lengthof the pistons stroke or the depth of its cylinder, when a projection onthe pistonrod, which has heretofore moved in a vertical slot formed in asleeve through which the rod passes, escapes from said slot and engagesa catch on the bottom of the clamp and a windinginclined plane form edon top of the sleeve. The rod and the clamp now rotate together, and asthe rods projection or pin travels up the inclined plane at the top ofthe sleeve the clamp is lifted out of its swiveled socket and thethreaded jaws spring open automatically, releasing the piston-rod, whichinstantly falls by gravity until the piston reaches the bottom of thecylinder. The downward movement of the rod returns the clamp-head to itsswiveled socket by virtue of ashoulder formed on the rod and engagingthe bottom of the clamp interiorly, which is provided with an aperture,through which the rod passes.

The mechanism will be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment of the invention.

; In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism,showing the piston-rod lowered and the screw clamp locked on the rod.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the rod raised and the clamp unlocked.Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a vertical longitudinalsection taken through the upper part of the mechanism on line y y, Fig.i. Fig. at is a transverse section taken on the line 00 .r, Fig. 3.

In the views, similar reference characters indicating correspondingparts or elements of the mechanism, let the numeral 5 desig-v vided withan angular opening 10, in which is received the correspondingly-shapedclamphead 12, composed of the twin jaws 13, in-

teriorly threaded to receive the correspondingly-threaded portion 5 ofrod 5 and supported upon springs let, which are connected at theiropposite extremities with a baseblock 15, with which they may be formedintegral or to which they may be attached in any suitable manner.

The base 15 is provided with an opening,

through which rod 5 passes, said opening lying directly below and inline with the threaded opening in the clamp-head.

1 Springs 14 are so constructed and arranged with reference to theclamping-jaws that when the clamping-head is raised out of opening 10its jaws are opened sufficiently to disengage their threads from thethreaded portion ofrod 5, thus releasing said rod. Hence the springsnormally hold the jaws open when out of the socket-head 9.

Supported also upon base, 6,

and rigidlysecured thereto is a sleeve 16, pro-1} vided with a verticalslot 17, in which travelsgf a horizontal pin or projection 18, made fastto rod 15.

sleeve 16 is formed a winding inclined plane 19. y The clamp and sleeveare so located with referenceto each other that the base of the clamp isreceived by the upper extremity of the sleeve. The bottom of this baseis provided with a vertical pin, catch, or stop 20, adapted to engagepin 18 of the rod as soon [00 Upon the upper extremity of,"

as the last-named pin reaches the top of the slot.

Rod 5 is provided with a shoulder 25, located between its threadedportion and the base 15 of the clamp. This shoulder is so large that itwill not pass through the aperture in the base of the clamp and is solocated that as rod 5 falls, after being released from the clamp, thelatter is carried downward to the position shown in Fig. l by theengagement of shoulder 25 with the base 15.

From the foregoing description the operation of the mechanism will bereadily understood. The parts being in the relative position shown inFig. 1, the swiveled socket-head is rotated by applying power to asuitable lever-arm 9 or in any othersuitable manner.

As this socket-head is rotated the screwclam'p isturned on the threadedrod and raises said rod until pin 18 reaches the top of slot 17, whensaid pin engages the pin or catch 20 on the base of the'clamp andtravels up the winding inclined plane 19, raising the clampsimultaneously to the position shown in Fig. 2 and releasing rod 5,whichthen falls by gravity to its original position, since the pin 18 hasagain reached its slot, having traveled entirely around the sleeve. Rod5 in falling also returns the clamp-head to its original po-.

sition in the swiveled socket by virtue of the engagement of shoulder 25with base 15, as heretofore stated. The cylinder-piston has now made onereciprocation, and, the rotation of the swiveled socket-head continuing,rod 9 begins to rise again and the action of the parts as just describedis repeated. The rapidity with which the piston travels will of coursedepend upon the pitch of the thread forming the screw on the rod and itsengaging-clam-p.

It will be observed that by the use of .my improved mechanism it becomespracticable to use a very large cylinder in the pump and to raise thewater to a great height with a small amount of power, comparativelyspeaking, since the piston may bemade to' travel proportionately slowly;or, if there is ample power at hand, the water may be raised rapidly,even though the piston travels slowly, by making the cylinder ofsuflicient area in cross-section.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In apump-operating mechanism, the combination, with a piston-rod providedwith a threaded portion, of a rotary socket swiveled in a suitablesupport, a divided spring clamp-head interiorly threaded to engagethethreaded portion of the rod, and suitable means whereby as the rod iselevated the clamp-head is raised out of its socket and the rodreleased, substantially as described.

2. In a pump-operating mechanism, the combination, with a piston--rodprovided with r a threaded portion, of a rotary socket swiveled in asuitable support, a spring clamphead interiorly thread ed to engage thethread ed portion of the rod and consisting of twin sections located inthe rotary socket, and suitable means whereby as the rod is raised theclamp-head israised out of its socket and the rod released,substantially as described.

3. In a pump-operating mechanism, the combination, with a piston-rodpartially threaded, of a rotary socket,a two-part threaded clamp locatedin said socket and engaging the I threadedportion of the rod, springsconnected with the parts of the clamp, whereby as the 1 same is releasedfrom its socket the parts separate and release the rod, and suitablemechanism for raising the clamp out of its socket when the rod hasreached a suitable elevation, substantially as described. I t. Inapump-operating'mechanism,the combination,.with apiston-rod partiallythreaded, of the swi-veled' socket, the clamp-head consistingof twointeriorly-threaded jaws located in said socket and engaging thethreaded portion of the rod, a base for the clamp connected with thejaws by two springs, said base being provided with an aperture, throughwhich the rod passes, and a slotted sleeve supported upon a suitablebase and surrounding the rod below the clamp, said sleeve being providedat its top with a winding inclined plane, the rod being provided with apin or projection traveling in the slot of the sleeve and adapted toengage a catch or stop on the bottom of the clamp as it leaves the slot,whereby the clamp-head is raised out of its socket and the rod released,substantial-1y as described.

5. The combination, with the threaded piston-rod, of a dividedscrew-head engaging i said rod, a rotary socket engaging the screwheadand suitably swiveled for actuating the same, and spring mechanismadapted to separate the parts of the screw-head and release the rod whensaid head is raised out of its 1 socket, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the threaded piston-rod, of the dividedscrew-head engaging said rod, a rotary socket engaging the screwsame,and mechanism adapted to separate the parts of the screw-head andrelease the rod -when said head is raised out of the socket,substantially as described. g 1 7. In a pump, the combination, with thethreaded piston-rod, of the screw-head and the g rotary socket forgiving it the upward movement, the screw-head being divided and havingsprings con-nected with its parts, and gmeans for raising the screw-headout of its .socket, whereby the rod is released and its downwardmovement accomplished by grav- 1 ity, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in 5 presence of two witnesses.

FRANK I'I. OBER.

Witnesses:

WM. MCCONNELL,

G. J. ROLLAUDET.

; head and suitably swiveled for actuating the

